Elemental Power Part 4
by RaceProUK
Summary: (Part 4 of 5) Hanna and Rob head to a ski resort, trying to get away from the chaos that their lives have become. But they're being watched...
1. Chapter 1

Hanna and Rob had been racing down the slopes all day. The score after six races stands at 3-3; the seventh race is well underway. Half-way down the course, they're neck-and-neck. The sun is starting to get low; this will be the last race of the day. To the victor, bragging rights and a free dinner; to the loser, the bill.

A few hundred yards from the finish line, something in the tree-line distracts Hanna. Rob takes advantage, pulling ahead. Moments later, he crosses the line victorious; he slews to a halt in the finishing area.

"Looks like dinner's on you tonight!" Rob waits for Hanna's inevitable retort; it doesn't come. "Hanna?" Rob looks around; Hanna has halted on the slope, a couple of hundred yards from the finish. _She's obviously seen something_. Eventually, Hanna slowly makes her way down to the finishing area. She slides to a halt in front of Rob, who has dismounted from his skis; she's still distracted by the same spot in the treeline.

"What have you seen?" Rob asks; Hanna doesn't respond. "Whatever it was, it's cost you dinner tonight." Still no response. "Rob to Hanna, come in Hanna…" Still no response. Rob taps Hanna on the shoulder. She jumps in surprise; her skis tangle, causing her to fall with a yelp.

"Don't sneak up on me like that!" she snaps.

"I didn't sneak up on you; you stopped right in front of me, and ignored everything I said to you."

"So you pushed me over?"

"I only tapped your shoulder; you fell over your own skis."

Hanna scrambles upright, muttering unrepeatable words under her breath. She looks back to the distracting part of the treeline. "Can't see it anymore."

"See what?"

"Not sure, but I get the feeling whatever it was, it was watching us."

"You're getting paranoid."

Hanna turns away from the treeline, dismounts from her skis, and starts to trudge towards the chalet. "Let's just get dinner over with."

* * *

><p>After dinner, Hanna and Rob retire to their room; the sun has set.<p>

"I still want to go and find whatever it was that cost me the race," Hanna declares.

"Whoever or whatever it was, it won't be there anymore," Rob assures. "Besides, it's too dark to go wandering in the woods."

"Yeah, I guess you're right," Hanna sighs. She checks the mini-fridge, seeing nothing she likes the look of. "I'm gonna go get a drink from the café; want anything?"

"Surprise me," Rob answers, settling on the bed and turning on the TV; Hanna departs for the café.

* * *

><p>Ten minutes later, Hanna returns with a couple of drinks and an assortment of snacks.<p>

"I'm back," she announces, entering the room. "Anything good on-"

The room shows signs of a struggle; Rob's sai lie bent to uselessness on the floor. Hanna drops her provisions, and sprints to the now open window. A grappling hook remains secured to the windowsill, the connected rope long enough to reach the ground. Hanna starts to growl angrily; her grip tightens enough to start warping the thin wooden sill.

A noise sounds behind her; turning, she tears the sill from its mount. The source of the noise is a small device on the bed, pinning a note down against the airflow. Hanna drops the remains of the windowsill, stalks to the bed, picks up the device in one hand, the note in the other, and crushes the device to destruction. She reads the note; her anger escalates to vengeful fury. Tearing the note to confetti, she flees the room and out of the chalet at top speed.


	2. Chapter 2

Rob awakes to find himself trapped in an unlit space barely big enough to contain him. He can hear the rumble of an engine, the rattling of suspension, and the heavily muffled murmur of voices. Unable to ascertain what they're saying, and concluding he must be trapped in the rearmost part of the vehicle, Rob turns his attention to his confinement. With no light source available, he resorts to feeling what he can contort to reach. While he finds a clear seam between two sections, he's unable to locate a way to open his mobile prison and make an escape.

* * *

><p>An indeterminate amount of time has passed; the vehicle grinds to a halt, and the engine is shut off. Footsteps recede into the distance, the voices following them. A few moments later, a new voice emerges; it approaches the rear of the vehicle. A click; Rob tenses, ready to attack. Instinctively reaching for his absent sai, he curses under his breath.<p>

The compartment is opened.

Rob leaps as fast and as hard as he can. Blinded by the sudden influx of bright light, he stumbles; he finds himself pinned face down to the floor by four individuals.

"Nice try." The new voice oozes with venom and sarcasm. "Take him away."

The four individuals yank Rob from the floor, and drag him away.

* * *

><p>The journey through the corridors was conducted in silence. Approaching one of the half-dozen cells, one of the four escorts splits from the group to open the cell door. The other three throw Rob roughly into the cell; Rob lands face-down, the wind being knocked out of him on impact. Before he can get up, the door is slammed shut; a loud thunk signifies the locks being engaged.<p>

Rob picks himself up and dusts himself off; he pauses in the realisation that, not only is he missing his sai, his diamond has also been taken. _Well, that sucks_, Rob thinks. _No diamond, no sai, nothing at all to help me escape_. He takes in the contents of his cell. It's sparsely populated; a basic bed fixed to one wall and a place to handle nature's calls are all that accompany his presence. _Nothing I like more than a challenge_, he smiles.

A detailed analysis of the structure of the cell doesn't reveal any obvious weaknesses; there's a gap at the bottom of the door, but a cursory examination reveals it to merely be a gap. _I suppose I'll at least get fed and watered, even if I can't use the gap to attempt an escape_. Turning his attention to the ceiling; opposite the door, the wall has a long thin slit by the ceiling. Through the slit spills the first light of the morning. _It's high, but if I can get up there, maybe I can just about squeeze through_.

Rob moves beside the wall with the slit at the top; his first few jump attempts fall a few inches short. A quick check of the cell dimensions. _About 10 feet, should be enough_. Rob backs up as much as possible against the cell door; he closes his eyes and plays through mentally what he has to do.

He opens his eyes; sprints across the room; leaps; plants a foot on the wall; pushes up; success! He gets both hands firmly on the top of the wall. He pulls himself up, straining with the effort. Elbows on top of the wall now; Rob pauses a moment to prepare for the next stage. Continuing to haul himself up and out of the cell, it becomes a struggle to contort into the narrow space. It takes a full minute, but he finally gets a leg on top of the wall. _That's the easy part; now to escape the compound…_


	3. Chapter 3

Hanna rides through the night, following the tracks laid by the vehicle that took Rob. It's hard to say which is louder: the growl of the ATV's engine, or the growl of the angry fox riding it. A light rain makes the ground slick, but that doesn't slow Hanna down.

As dawn breaks, the engine starts to cough. A few moments later, it cuts out; the fuel gauge reads empty. The ATV grinds to a halt. At first, Hanna doesn't react; closing her eyes, she controls her breathing in an attempt to resist the urge to tear the handlebars from their mounting.

Ten minutes later, a calmer Hanna dismounts, and hides the ATV in a nearby cluster of shrubbery. Continuing on foot, through the morning haze, Hanna curses colourfully under her breath.

* * *

><p>A mile down the road, the trail stops, as does Hanna. For a moment, she just stares at the end of the trail. Looking up and around, there is no sign of the trail starting again. A wave of despair washes over Hanna; she sinks to her knees in defeat, hanging her head in sorrow. <em>It seems I've failed you, Rob<em>.

A klaxon sounds in the distance. Hanna looks up; she spots a cluster of buildings contained by a fortified wall poking out from behind a line of trees. Intrigued, she rises to her feet, and starts walking towards the cluster. As she gets closer, instinct prompts her to draw her nunchaku; she ducks behind one of the thicker trunks, peeking round, observing what's happening.

A voice booms over the tannoy: "The prisoner has escaped! Recapture him immediately!"

_Rob?_ Hanna follows the treeline, trying to figure out exactly what's happening without exposing her presence. She can hear raised voices; mostly barked commands. _If it is you Rob, you're not exactly doing a very good job_.

Hanna notices a figure is climbing over the wall. She continues along the treeline, trying to figure out who it is; the figure is too far away to make out who it is, especially when concealed in shade. As she draws closer, she's able to make out some details; she increases her pace, hopeful that it is who she thinks it is.

The figure leaps down from the top of the wall, landing in a smooth roll, recovering into a sprint towards the treeline. Hanna slides to a halt; the strange figure is now sprinting directly towards her, though his attention is focussed on the wall he just leapt from. Distracted, the figure slams into Hanna; both fall to the ground, the sprinter pinning Hanna down.

"Watch where the-" Hanna snaps; she stops short as she realises who has just bowled her over. "Rob?"

"Hanna?" Rob responds in surprise.

Hanna doesn't answer; she throws her arms around Rob in a loving embrace.

"Can we save this for later?" Rob asks urgently. "They're looking for me; we need to scarper as quickly as we can."

"Ever the romantic," Hanna sighs. "Very well, let's get out of here."

Hanna breaks her embrace; together, she and Rob rise and sprint deeper into the wood.


	4. Chapter 4

An hour later, exhausted and out of breath, Hanna and Rob huddle inside the hollowed-out trunk of an ancient dead tree.

"I think we'll be safe here," Rob whispers.

"Good," Hanna whispers in return. "I was riding all night; I feel I could fall asleep any moment."

"I'm not exactly spring fresh myself. At least whatever we're sitting on is soft, and there's enough room for us both to lie down."

Hanna doesn't respond; she's already dozed off. Rob lays her gently on the soft floor, and settles down beside her; he falls asleep a moment later.

* * *

><p>Early afternoon, and Hanna stirs awake. Rob is nowhere to be seen. Startled, she stands and almost leaps out of the tree. "Rob?" she whispers urgently.<p>

"Yes?" Rob answers quietly, popping up right in front of her.

Hanna staggers back, bumping hard into the inside of the tree trunk. "Don't scare me like that!" she chastises.

"It's OK; there's no-one around," Rob assures, climbing back into the tree.

"How can you be so sure?"

"Because we weren't dragged away in our sleep."

Hanna opens her mouth to argue; she shuts it again as she realises she cannot think of a counterpoint. A moment later; "So, what are we going to do now?"

"Not sure yet. Though I definitely want to get my diamond back."

"You'll need new weapons; I would have brought your sai, but they were bent to uselessness." A short pause. "Actually, how did they manage to capture you? Surely you'd have been able to fight them off?"

"Four of them burst in through the window; they caught me unawares," Rob explains. "By the time I was able to react, two had pinned my arms down, the third was taking my sai, and the fourth was planting a stinking rag over my face. Next thing I knew, I was locked in the back of a vehicle, barely able to move; it was rather cramped."

"So how did you get away?"

"When we got to the compound, they threw me into a cell. They must have assumed I'd just sit there and wait to be rescued, rather than crawl through the small gap between the wall and the ceiling."

"They left the window open?"

"There was no window; it was just a gap. No lights or heater either. I don't recommend staying there in future, though I can't complain about the price."

"Are you done making dumb jokes?" Hanna asks sarcastically, arms folded.

"No, but I'll save the rest for later if you like."

Hanna sighs in exasperation. "Anyway, we'd better get home so you can re-arm yourself."

"I'm not so sure that's a good idea; they'll be waiting for us there. They _do_ know where we live."

"Then we'll have to fight them off."

Rob thinks for a moment. "Well, since I can't think of a better idea, let's go with that."

"That's your best idea yet." Hanna scrambles out of the tree; Rob follows immediately after.

"Just one question before we set off," Rob prompts.

"What?" Hanna growls impatiently.

"Where on Avalice are we?"


	5. Chapter 5

Hours later, the sun starting to set, Hanna and Rob eventually find their way back to Rage Ravine.

"Finally!" Hanna exclaims in relief. "We're nearly home! I really wish we had our ATVs though."

"You mean the one stuck in a random field with no fuel, and the other at the ski resort we didn't know how to get back to?" Rob asks.

"Yeah", Hanna sighs, "those ATVs."

"We'll get them back eventually. Or steal new ones."

"I guess."

* * *

><p>Hiding in the treeline outside their own home, with the sun now fully set, Hanna and Rob wait, observing.<p>

"It feels so wrong, planning to break into our own home," Hanna whispers.

"We don't have a choice," Rob warns. "If we go in through the front door, they'll be ready and jump both of us."

"And they won't be expecting us to sneak in through the bedroom or anything?"

Rob pauses a moment. "Good point. Still, we should proceed with caution."

"Really? Because I was thinking of breaking the door down and yelling 'Come at me!'."

"At least you have weapons."

Hanna turns her attention back to the house. "Well, I don't see any lights. Doesn't mean there's no-one there, I know, but if I was in their place, I'd want to make sure we know they're there. So I'd turn some lights on, make it obvious." A pause. "OK, let's do this."

Hanna moves around the treeline, Rob following close behind. They work their way round the side of the house, towards the darkest path between the treeline and the house. Taking advantage of the poor light, they're soon scaling the wall, and onto the roof. A light-footed sprint along the roof; they pause at the edge, above the bedroom balcony. Rob takes a large stone from his pocket, and tosses it onto the balcony below; it bounces loudly three times.

Ten minutes pass; no-one emerges to investigate the noise.

"I guess no-one's home," Rob concludes.

Hanna draws her nunchaku, and drops onto the balcony in a fighting stance. Rob drops down just behind her; they approach the balcony door slowly. Hanna unlocks the door; she winces as she is unable to prevent the lock action clicking loudly. She slides the door as slowly as she can; as soon as there's enough room to squeeze through, she does so. Both now inside, Hanna sneaks over to the interior door to guard. Rob creeps over to a storage chest, and extracts a pair of razor-sharp black sai and a grappling hook. Now armed, he joins Hanna by the interior door.

"Got them," Rob whispers as quietly as possible, yet loud enough for Hanna to hear.

"Then you stand guard while I get my steel nunchaku."

Rob takes up position by the door; it's now Hanna's turn to root through the chest. Steel nunchaku in hand, grappling hook on belt, she returns to Rob's side.

"Out the front, or the way we came in?" she asks.

"The way we came in," Rob decides.

Sneaking out proves uneventful; a few minutes later, back in the treeline, they both finally relax.


	6. Chapter 6

By sunrise the next day, Hanna and Rob had made their way back to the hollowed-out tree they'd hidden in after Rob's escape from the compound. Exhausted, they settle down inside once more, and sleep through the morning.

* * *

><p>Mid-afternoon, well-rested, Hanna and Rob make plans to raid the compound that evening.<p>

"The way you sneaked out of there yesterday; is that the easiest way to sneak in too?" Hanna asks.

"Well, I didn't exactly have the opportunity to scout the whole compound, but it worked well enough," Rob replies.

"It'll have to do," Hanna sighs. "How about the layout inside? Could you navigate?"

"I was a bit too pre-occupied with escaping, if I'm honest."

"We'll have to wing it then."

"Unless we kidnap a guard."

"I don't know about that," Hanna doubts. "If a patrol fails to check in, they'll know we're there."

"How else are we going to find where my diamond is?"

"I'm more concerned with finding their leader."

"After I get my diamond back."

"Agreed," Hanna relents.

"Once we're in, we stick to the rooftops," Rob suggests. "I didn't see many observation towers, only the one by the front gate. We should be able to stay hidden from it."

"Good idea," Hanna agrees. "Much easier than trying to sneak between moving shadows."

"Sounds like we have a plan."

"As much of one as we can, at any rate."

"Yeah. Too many unknowns for my liking."

"Well, we can eliminate some of them by striking after dark," Hanna suggests.

"Unknowns or guards?"

"Yes."

"Don't let your desire for revenge make you do something foolish," Rob warns.

"Don't worry; I'm in control."

"Good." Rob pauses a moment. "We still have some time to kill before we make our move. Sleep for a few hours, set off at sunset?"

"Well, we don't have anything else to do, so why not?"

Hanna curls up, closes her eyes, and starts to snooze; Rob does the same next to her.

* * *

><p>At sunset, Hanna and Rob emerge from the tree, and set off towards the compound. A short distance away, the black-clad figure that had been watching them all afternoon sprints towards the same, aiming to arrive first and warn his kin.<p> 


	7. Chapter 7

Shortly after sunset, Hanna and Rob arrive at the edge of the treeline outside the compound. The low light makes staying hidden easy enough. They locate the part of the wall Rob escaped over the previous day; two grappling hooks fly through the air in synchrony, latching a few feet apart on the top of the wall. A quick tug on each rope; satisfied the hooks are secure, the climb is smooth and swift.

Upon reaching the top of the wall, the hooks are recovered, and thrown onto the nearest roof. Another tug on each rope; the hooks are secure. Hanna and Rob check below; the gloom makes spotting the enemy difficult, but Hanna's night vision proves sufficient. Hanna signals the all-clear; they swing, striking the wall softly. They waste no time climbing onto the roof.

Recovering the hooks and coiling the ropes, Hanna and Rob take a moment to get their bearings.

"I see three buildings," Hanna observes, whispering as softly as possible.

Rob double-checks. "The largest one is where I was incarcerated. I guess that's also where the head guy is."

Hanna sneaks over to the nearby skylight; she peers in, careful to minimise how much she leans over. "Looks like a vehicle depot; all I see is trucks and servicing equipment. There's a few engineers milling around."

"No need to waste time on this building then," Rob confirms. "We should move on to the next one."

Hanna looks around. "The other low one is close enough; think you can leap the gap?"

"Easy."

A quick sprint along the roof; the leap over the gap; a smooth rolling landing. Hanna follows seconds later. Rob takes his turn peering through a skylight.

"Barracks," he confirms.

"Only one building left," Hanna urges. "It's too far away to leap or grapple to; we'll have to get down to ground level."

"It's a big risk; they'll have patrols."

"We have no other choice."

"Agreed."

Making their way to the edge of the roof, they crawl along it, looking for a safe place to drop down. Choosing a point about halfway down one of the walls perpendicular to the one facing the tallest building, they shimmy down a convenient drainpipe, then duck behind a stack of crates. Pausing a moment to ensure they haven't been spotted; no-one comes looking for them.

"I've got a bad feeling about this," Rob whispers. "There seems to be no-one on patrol."

"Then our path is clear," Hanna hisses. "And can the clichés."

A swift creep to the end of the wall; they cling as close as possible to stay hidden. Stopping at the corner, Hanna peeks round, checking the distance from their concealment to the nearest wall of the tall building.

"It's about 50ft," Hanna estimates. "We can cover that in a half-dozen seconds, sling the hooks, and scale the wall. Here to rooftop, thirty seconds, forty tops."

"We go together."

"OK," Hanna agrees. "Three… two… one… go!"

Hanna takes off at top speed, Rob directly behind her.

A searchlight activates, catching them out half-way.

Hanna skids to a halt, dropping her grappling hook and drawing her nunchaku as she does so. Rob attempts the same; he stumbles over Hanna's discarded grappling hook and slams into her, knocking them both to the floor. The nunchaku and sai tumble out of reach.

Twenty guards surround the pair a few seconds later.

Hanna glares at Rob, growling violently.


	8. Chapter 8

The next morning, Hanna and Rob wake to find themselves incarcerated. Rob sits up, looks around, thinking about another escape attempt.

"I think this is the same cell I was in last time," he concludes. "Though they have secured it better; the gap has a thick metal grille blocking it now."

"Shut up," Hanna growls venomously.

Rob stands and starts to analyse the cell in detail. "There's got to be a weakness; there's always a weakness."

"I said shut up."

"OK," Rob sighs. "I'm sorry I messed up. There's no doubt it's my fault we're in here."

Hanna pauses a moment. "Keep going."

"Sorry I made you lose your nunchaku."

"You're not finished yet."

Rob turns to Hanna; he notices the shackles securing her wrists to her elbows, and the short chain holding her ankle to the foot of the bed. "And I'm sorry you're shackled up like that. Can't be comfortable."

"Come over here and I'll show you how 'comfortable' it is."

Rob backs away slightly. "I'd rather not, if I'm honest."

"Very wise."

"After seeing what you did to those two guards…"

"They asked for it."

"They'll be scarred for life."

"Good."

Rob continues his analysis of the cell, taking great pains to stay at least five feet away from Hanna. _She's obviously very angry, but she's not growling. And that's what really scares me_.

"There's no way out," Rob concludes in defeat.

"Yippee," Hanna quips sarcastically.

The cell door clicks; the door opens, and five guards enter. Two of them unlock Hanna's ankle restraint and pull her to her feet. Despite the shackles, they always keep an eye on her hands. The other two guards flank Rob. The fifth, obviously a commander, remains at the door.

"He is ready to see you now," the commander states.

"Who?" Hanna and Rob chorus.

"The Ethereal."


End file.
